Otakuland
by ShizukaRakugaki44
Summary: Anna-May Otaku loves anime and manga, but her mother disapproves and she has no friends. Then one day, she is spirited away to Otakuland, a place where all the anime and manga characters exist, and is thrust into a tournament along with seven other otakus to determine who will be the next Otaku King, who has the power to cancel one manga in the real world.
1. Chapter 1: Down the Manga Bin

**Hi guys! Shizuka Rakugaki here with a brand new series! Because I had so much fun parodying **_**Sailor Moon**_** and **_**Tokyo Mew Mew**_** in my fanfic **_**Soldier Candy**_**, I thought it would be fun to parody manga and anime in general, so…enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Down the Manga Bin

"Anna-May!" a loud female voice cried out.

_Crap! It's my mother_, I thought, looking around for her.

On most days, I usually managed to buy the stuff I wanted before she knew I was here, but today I was having a dilemma. I couldn't decide whether I wanted the latest volume of _Naruto_ or this new manga I never heard of called _Alice in the Country of Hearts_, and I only had enough money to buy one of them. After glancing once more at both, my eyes wandered to the front of the manga-store, where I saw my mother walk inside. She viewed the store with disgust, but I managed to look away before her eyes fell on me. There weren't too many places to hide, since the store was basically one room with three book-shelves and four metal bins full of anime posters, dolls, and other merchandise-related items.

When I looked back, my mother was making her way to the cash register, receiving a lot of stares from the other customers. She wasn't pretty, per say, but the make-up did make her look younger. I wanted to put the manga down and get out of the store, but my hands refused to let them go. My mom didn't take me out to the mall very often, so this was the only opportunity I had to obtain the things I loved most.

Hoping that she would go away, I quietly made my way along the bookshelf so she wouldn't see me from the cash register. However, I was so focused on what lay ahead of me that I didn't look down in time to see that I was walking towards one of the metal bins. My feet knocked against it with a _clang_, causing a few nearby customers to look at me. In fear of my mom hearing it, I quickly ducked down behind it, keeping out of view. While those behind me gave me odd looks, I heard footsteps coming toward me.

_Shoot,_ I thought, holding the unbought manga close to my chest. _I wish I was somewhere other than here!_

Then suddenly, the strangest thing happened. The metal bin I was hiding behind started to form a hole on the side that faced me, and the bargain-priced manga behind it vanished completely. I was too shocked to say anything as I looked up and saw my mother's tall figure looming over me.

"Anna-May, what are you doing here?" my mom asked, frowning.

Instead of answering her, I instinctively leaped into the dark hole before me, still holding the manga against my chest. But I immediately regretted my decision as I fell into nothing. The air inside rushed past me, forcing my eyes to close as I waited to hear the inevitable sound of my bones being crushed at the bottom of this very deep cataclysm that I somehow found myself falling into.

However, that sound never came. Instead, I heard a sly voice whispering in my ear, "Anna-May Otaku."

Upon hearing my name, I woke up with a jolt. To my surprise, I was sitting in a chair in some abandoned classroom, while opposite of me stood a skinny man with yellow eyes, pale skin, and was wearing a pink suit that reminded me of the Mad Hatter from Tim Burton's _Alice in Wonderland_. He grinned at me, revealing a large row of teeth, and it was then that I recognized him.

"Masakaki?" I asked.

"Yes, that is what I am called in your world," he replied, and lay himself flat on the desk in front of him, with his head propped between his hands. "Now I suppose you're wondering where you are, and how you got here."

"That's a really good cosplay!" I blurted, not believing my eyes.

The man who called himself Masakaki chuckled, and with his head still propped between his hands, he levitated his body towards me till our noses almost touched. "If you think I'm one of those 'cosplayers', you're wrong. I am the _real_ thing."

As if to demonstrate, he suddenly vanished, and reappeared right behind me. Still not believing him, I replied, "You're just using holographic projections. That doesn't prove anything!"

But the man who called himself Masakaki didn't frown. In fact, his grin grew wider. "Then how do you explain how I know your name?"

"You looked through my purse while I was still passed out. I know my Student ID is in there," I said firmly.

"True, but what about that hole you fell through not too long ago?"

"I was drugged, and so my mind was imagining things."

"That might be possible, and yet there is one thing that doesn't add up." The man called Masakaki then disappeared again, reappearing this time next to me with his arm wrapped around my shoulder. "Who would want to kidnap you? Your mother works as a secretary for a mediocre fashion magazine, and your father hasn't been in your life since you were five years old. The school you attend is average. You're not popular among your peers, nor notorious, and the only thing you have that makes your life worthwhile is manga and anime."

Naturally, I was outraged by this man, who was spouting off things about my life like they were amusing bits of gossip, and the fact that he knew so much about me even though we were strangers. I jumped out of the chair, pushing him aside, and looked for the nearest exit. While most of the walls where covered by stacked-up desks and chairs, there was one door that stood visible, but before I could run towards it, the man who called himself Masakaki appeared there first, blocking my way.

"If this is some kind of sick joke, it's not funny!" I said, trying to get past the man, but no matter where I turned, he was always in front of me. "Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? And what are you trying to accomplish by dressing up as Masakaki?"

"Before I answer your other questions, let me ask you this: if I was merely using holographic projectors, then you would've felt nothing when my arm touched your shoulder, so how am I able to disappear and reappear wherever I please?"

I remembered the weight of his arm quite distinctly, but I quickly dismissed it. "But you can't be the real Masakaki!"

"That is true in your world, but in this one, I am."

"You make it sound like we're in another dimension or something."

The man who called himself Masakaki smiled, and then snapped his fingers.

The classroom dissolved, and we then found ourselves floating over an immense landscape of valleys, forests, and lakes with distinctly enclosed structures scattered about. There were no roads connecting them, but there was a pristine palace that lay relatively at the center of the surrounding structures. Then far off in the distance, I could see a small cottage at the foot of white-capped mountains while a dark swirling hole occupied the sky above it.

_I know this is going to sound cliché, but I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore_, I thought to myself.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2: House of Beginnings

Chapter 2: The House of Beginnings

"Welcome to Otakuland," the man who called himself Masakaki said in a formal tone. "Here every character that has ever been created from anime and manga exists. We thrive on the belief of all our fans and we die when no one loves our particular works anymore. Other than that, we go about our daily lives within the Areas the Otaku King set up long ago."

"What do you mean by 'Areas'?"

"You see the enclosed structures?"

I nodded.

"Those are the Areas. It's where certain characters live based on the genre of the work they're featured in." Then the man, who I now believed really was Masakaki, pointed out several places for me: namely a large double-glass dome, a circle of trees, a towering city, and a dark castle. "For instance, all the science-fiction characters are placed in the Space Dome, the Fairy Grove is for fantasy characters, Yakuza City is where all the detective fiction characters live, and that's Vampire Castle, where all the supernatural characters are located."

"So if each character is assigned to a particular Area based on the genre of their work, then what does that castle represent?" I pointed down toward the pristine castle.

"That is where the Otaku King lives," Masakaki replied. "He's the one who makes sure that all the characters are provided for, and prevents us from going to war with one another. However, the title is a temporary one, so we must find a candidate who is worthy to replace him, and that is where you come in."

"Me? You want me to become the next Otaku King?" I looked at Masakaki in disbelief, but his facial expression was serious. "I don't know how to run a kingdom! I'm just an otaku!"

"And that is why you and the others were chosen."

"There are others who were brought here too? Why?"

"For as long as we can remember, the Otaku King has always been someone from your world who loved our work with a great deal of passion, and a strong inner belief in us. But several years ago, there was one ruler who abused his power to fulfill his own desires, which eventually led to a violent rebellion. So the characters who oversee their particular Areas, also known as Supervisors, sat down and created a strict system for selecting the next Otaku King. They decreed that 'When the fanatic passion has fallen into its autumn stage, eight lights will fall from the sky, and collide with each other till one shines brightest'."

"What does that mean? You're not answering my question, Masakaki!"

"So you acknowledge that I am really him?"

When I nodded with slight irritation, Masakaki snapped his fingers again, and we were back in the classroom again. Then he picked up a stick of chalk placed underneath the blackboard behind the desk, and drew several figures accompanied by labels, explaining them to me as he wrote. I listened very carefully to his words, though I was still having a hard time adjusting to my current situation.

"So to put it simply," he said after drawing everything. "You and seven other otakus were brought here through the dark hole that floats above this House of Beginnings. Here each of you is equipped with a Merchandise Object, or MO for short, to be used in combat against another otaku. The fights will take place in each of the eight Areas, and you must win each one in order to enter the Otaku Palace in order to battle the Otaku King for the crown."

"But what if I don't want to participate?" I asked, folding my arms.

"Then you will be stuck here and someone else will come along to replace you as the eighth candidate."

"How do you know there are seven others like me in this world? Why aren't they here?"

"We summon the candidates one a time so that they don't see each others' Merchandise Objects before the official fights. After I give them a brief description of the situation, they receive their Merchandise Object, and are sent off to the Areas."

"Is there some way I can return to Earth without having to bring someone else to this world?"

"It is said that whoever becomes Otaku King will be granted not only control over all of Otakuland, but also gain certain powers, including the ability to cancel one manga in the real world."

"Okay," I said, slightly interested. "What other powers does the Otaku King possess?"

"That is for the winner of the tournament to figure out. Even I do not know the extent of the Otaku King's power."

Feeling distraught, I sighed in my chair, and watched as the sun, or what looked like a sun, set lower over the mountains.

After several minutes of silence, Masakaki asked, "Are you anxious to return because you have loved ones that will miss you?"

"I know my mom will miss me, but I won't," I replied quietly.

"Then what have you got to lose by participating in this tournament? You will not only meet others like yourself, but also your favorite characters."

_He does have a good point_, I thought, but I hid my desire with a shrug. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Then it's a deal!" Masakaki said giddily.

Then before I could dodge him, he thrust out a wooden stamp from inside his coat-jacket, and placed it on my right hand. I immediately pulled it away, but the ink had already settled. Now the upper part of that hand was dominated by the initials 'OKC'.

"Now that you have been made an official Otaku King Candidate (that's what the 'OKC' stands for), I want you to imagine something you have at home that is very precious to you." When I didn't respond, he said. "It can be anime or manga-related."

"I didn't say I wanted to participate in this tournament," I said, trying to rub the stamp off.

"But now that you bear the Seal of Approval, you have to participate. Try as you may to get rid of it, the stamp will stay on your hand. The only time it'll wear off is when the winner has been decided."

"You tricked me," I realized, glaring at Masakaki.

"It's what I do best," he said, smiling back. "So if you want to get going before it gets dark, close your eyes and picture an object that means a great deal to you at home."

Reluctantly, I did as he said. I initially imagined my room, a bare space with a plain bed, a plain desk with a laptop, two dressers, and a white closet. In my mind, I opened the closet, and beheld my manga collection, anime collection, and a stuffed Kakashi doll hanging from the inside door handle. I focused a long time on the Kakashi doll, which I had won during a contest at an anime convention. It always cheered me up when I saw it, and I used to snuggle with it when I went to sleep, before my mom found out about my addiction. Thinking of my mom made me open my eyes, and the Kakashi doll was there, sitting on the desk with its face turned down.

I picked up out of disbelief. It had the same bent hair, the same worn-out kunai with bits of dried super-glue sticking out, and was tied by a yellow string that had become worn with the years. But the little reunion was shortened by Masakaki, who appeared in front of me carrying a plain green backpack in one hand and a water bottle in the other.

"Seeing that you have summoned your Merchandise Object, my task is done. I will see you at the Otaku Palace, assuming you get that far."

The classroom faded away once more, and I was standing outside the cottage with the backpack and water bottle at my feet, while still holding the Kakashi doll. I tried to go back inside, but the door was locked, the windows were shuttered, and there was no sign of Masakaki. Knowing he meant what he said, I went to the backpack, and pulled out the map he mentioned. Written on lined notebook paper, it outlined the Areas in red circles, but there were no labeled landmarks. However, there was a general path that wound itself between the areas in a spiral-like direction towards the Otaku Palace, which lay at the center of the map.

"Great," I muttered to myself. "I'm stuck in an unknown world, and this lousy map doesn't help much!"

"This one can help you."

I jumped when I heard a male voice in front of me. It wasn't Masakaki's voice, but someone else. Then to my surprise, a man with long red hair tied in a ponytail with an x-shaped scar appeared out of the darkening forest as the light faded, and knelt before me.

"This one is known in your world as Rurouni Kenshin," the man said, keeping his eyes down. "The Area where this one lives is not too far from here, and seeing that you are one of the eight Otaku King Candidates, this one would honorably serve as your escort."

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3: Samurai Village Part 1

**I apologize for the delay, but here's the third chapter in this epic tale! Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 3: Samurai Village Part 1

After the Otakuland sun set over what appeared to be the western horizon, me and Rurouni Kenshin continued through the woods but he had his katana drawn. As I glanced nervously around, I heard all kinds of animal noises but I couldn't recognize any of them. Then suddenly, there came a faint "_Zubat!_" and a Zubat swooped over my head. Luckily I ducked, but there were two more that followed, but Rurouni Kenshin didn't even lift his katana to swat at them.

"Why aren't you doing something about these Zubats?" I asked irritated.

"If you ignore them, they will not bother you," he said, even as one managed to knock him in the head.

While I was a bit dubious, I tried to follow his example, and eventually the Zubats left me, but were instead replaced by howling sounds from some Mightyenas nearby, and soon a whole pack of them appeared to our right.

"Run!" Rurouni Kenshin said, and that's what we did.

The Mightyenas followed close behind, but we managed to still stay ahead of them. They followed us past several twists and turns along the path until we came to a waterfall at the end. I glanced back, and the Mightyenas were running toward us. Then I looked down the waterfall, which fell a pretty long way into a large pool below.

"We don't have much time," Rurouni Kenshin said. "You must jump, now!"

Then with that, he pushed me over the edge. I initially screamed, but didn't do so for long since this was the second time I fell down a long ways, and my throat was still sore from the first time. When I hit the pond's surface, there was the sharp pain that came with the _splash_ followed by utter coldness as I attempted to keep afloat, but ultimately ditched my backpack to make that happen. Then when I looked up at the waterfall, I saw a rocky path that ran next to it all the way down to the bottom. Meanwhile, Rurouni Kenshin was swinging his katana at the Mightyenas, telling them to get back, and then he ran down the path, which I realized I could've taken instead of falling off the waterfall, and disappeared behind the waterfall. Curious, I swam up to the waterfall, still holding onto the Kakashi doll, and went behind it. There, I found a small cave in the rock-face, and found Rurouni Kenshin waiting there.

"This one apologizes for not telling you about the path," he said, and helped me up out of the water.

"Apology accepted," I said, and began to shiver in the cool air.

He smiled in response, and led me into the cave, which in turn led to an underground maze that was scarcely lit except for a few torches. I stayed close behind Rurouni Kenshin so I wouldn't get lost, and he in turn paced slow enough for me to follow. After several winding turns, we eventually came to a slow-running underground stream where a wooden boat was waiting, tied to a stalactite. Obediently, I got in while Rurouni Kenshin cast us off and sat in the back to steer the boat as it ran through several branches off the main stream, until we came to an opening that led into a lake and on the other side stood a looming Japanese-style fortress with several paper lanterns lit around the base.

"That is the Samurai Village Area, where this one and other characters of historical fiction manga and anime thrive," Rurouni Kenshin said proudly as he rowed us toward that fortress.

When we got to the other side, Rurouni Kenshin talked to the guards standing at the entrance to the fortress, and they let us in without a pause. Inside, the alleys were crowded with street vendors, performers, and even a sword-fight here and there. Some of the characters I recognized, while others were shrouded in darkness. Eventually, Rurouni Kenshin took me to a large palace with emerald roof-tiles and gold lion statues at the top of the stairs.

"This is where the Otaku King Candidates will rest for the night, and then they will begin their first Area Match tomorrow morning," Rurouni Kenshin explained as we walked up the steps.

"But how will I know who the candidates are?" I asked, though I still regretted taking up Masakaki's offer.

"Like you, they are dressed distinctly, and speak of us with admiration."

I didn't fully understand what he meant, but soon we were confronted by a girl about my age with medium brown hair, dark brown eyes, and pale skin. She also wore a green and orange kimono with a matching orange bow tied at the back of her head. After looking at me briefly, the girl looked up at Rurouni Kenshin.

"Is this the eighth Otaku King Candidate?" she asked.

Rurouni Kenshin nodded, and then he turned to me and said, "This one's task of escorting you here is complete. This one shall now leave you in the care of Miss Loli Tsundere."

He then bowed to me, then to the girl, and left down the stairs. The girl, whom I presumed to be Loli Tsundere, watched Rurouni Kenshin leave with sad eyes, but when she saw me watching her, she scuffed, and walked back into the palace. Naturally, I followed close behind until she abruptly stopped in the main room, which was packed with people who sat in a circle around a long table where five teenagers and one little girl wearing different but relatively modern clothes sat. I immediately guessed they were the other candidates, and so I quickly hid my Kakashi Doll behind my back before their eyes gazed up from the mounds of delicious food at me.

"About time you showed up," said an irritated-looking boy with black hair covering half his face. "We were _starting_ to get worried!"

"Shou, don't be rude!" responded a girl with curly brown hair and large-framed glasses. "She just got here!"

"And she's wet," noted a boy whose face reminded me of a pig, and his eyes peered up from my chest down. Then he pouted, "Can't see anything."

"That wasn't the appropriate thing to say, fat-a**!" shouted a guy with a close-shaven head who knocked the large boy down with one blow.

"You're all going to die!" cried a little girl with black pig-tails and an adorable smile.

Loli Tsundere sighed, and pushed me up the next flight of stairs that led to the sleeping quarters. There, we were greeted by the palace's owner, who I recognized as China from the _Spirit of Wonder_ OVAs, who bowed respectfully as Loli continued to drag me down the hall until we stopped in front of a large Japanese-style apartment with my name on it.

"So you're Anna-May Otaku," Loli Tsundere recited, and then she scuffed. "What a stupid name!"

"Yours is just as stupid," I retorted. "I mean, who decided to name their kid Loli Tsundere?"

"My parents were both really into manga and anime before I was born, then they decided to forbid me from getting into it for some reason," she said, folding her arms. "But that's not important. I brought you here so you could change into clean clothes and join the rest of us."

"You mean the candidates downstairs?"

"Who do you think I'm talking about?" Then Loli Tsundere left muttering loudly, "Moron."

I was about to make a comeback, but decided against it when I noticed some of the other guests staring at me, and so I went into the apartment, closing the door behind me.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4: Samurai Village Part 2

Chapter 4: Samurai Village Part 2

After I got out of my wet clothes which consisted of a blue Sailor uniform, white stockings, and tan shoes, I put on the white kimono with blue flowers that had been laid out for me on the futon bed. When I got down to the table where all the other candidates were sitting, some of the dinner plates had been replaced by deserts. Fortunately, there was a full plate of food at my designated spot.

"They didn't know when you were going to show up, so it might be cold," said the girl with the glasses.

"That's alright," I replied, and immediately chowed down while everyone else went back to eating their food.

No one spoke a word, and eventually the candidates started to leave until I was the only one left at the table.

_I guess they're all tired like me_, I thought as I finished what was left of the mochi.

So like them, I went back up to my room, and fell asleep. The next morning, I was woken up by Feng-Lan from _Night Raid 1931_ who insisted that I get going if I wanted to make it to the first Area Match in time. So I quickly got into the clothes I wore when I arrived in Otakuland, which had been dried overnight, and grabbed my Kakashi Doll before heading out the door to my room. Downstairs, I was informed by China that the Otaku King Candidates had gone ahead to the battle arena, which was located in a park at the center of Samurai Village. Unfortunately, I didn't ask her for directions, and so I quickly got lost until I saw Rurouni Kenshin in front of me.

"Rurouni Kenshin!" I cried, and got his attention.

"Are you looking for the battle arena?" he asked, like he read my mind.

I nodded, and said, "I'm kind of lost."

"This one is heading in that direction anyway, so this one will take you there," he said, and so I followed him.

At the park, there was a large Zen garden that was rectangular in shape, where a large crowd was gathering around it. At the center stood the candidates I met last night, carrying various Merchandise Objects that ranged from clothes to actual swords. Immediately, the crowd silenced as I approached the Zen garden. But then I soon realized that they weren't staring at me, but at Rurouni Kenshin.

"The new girl got escorted by the Samurai Village Supervisor?" Loli Tsundere said, folding her arms.

"Do I sense jealousy?" asked the dark-haired boy Shou.

Loli blushed briefly and glared at him.

"This one ran into Miss Otaku by chance, and so this one decided to help her because she was lost," Rurouni Kenshin explained. "Now that all the Otaku King Candidates are here, it is time to begin the first Area Match!"

The crowds cheered in response, but it just made my heart pound in fear.

As if he read my mind again, Rurouni Kenshin said, "Since you are new to this world, allow this one to explain the rules: you may use your Merchandise Object and its Abilities, but nothing else, and once a winner has been declared, the loser will be sent back once the tournament is finished. Are there any questions?"

Unabashedly, I raised my hand. "How do we use our Merchandise Objects in combat?"

At that, the rest of the candidates groaned in annoyance. But Rurouni Kenshin smiled and replied, "You'll have to find out for yourself."

As he sat down at a wooden platform next to the Zen garden, a man wearing a scholarly robe, who I think was Ri Kouyuu from _Saiunkoku Monogatari_, lifted a thin sheet of rice paper to reveal a diagram of tournament brackets with names on it. I looked at the bracket on the far left and saw my name next to Loli's. Next, Ri Kouyuu took two wooden sticks and clapped them together.

"The first battle of the First Round will be between Anna-May Otaku and Loli Tsundere," Ri said nonchalantly.

With that said, all the other candidates except me and Loli moved out of the Zen garden, while the crowd backed away slightly. I looked down at my Kakashi Doll, then I noticed Loli rolling up one of her kimono sleeves to reveal a charm bracelet that was similar to the one Yuki wore in _Vampire Knight_. For a few seconds, we both stared at our Merchandise Objects, trying to figure out how to use them, when finally I got so fed up with impatience that I threw the Kakashi Doll at Loli. To my surprise, the Kakashi Doll moved and kicked Loli in the face. However, the force wasn't strong enough to knock her down, so she retaliated by flinging the doll off to the side, but luckily it managed to land on its feet. We were both briefly amazed as it looked back at me and said in Kakashi's voice, "So you finally figured out how to use me."

Before I could reply, Loli touched the charm on her bracelet, and suddenly red daggers appeared out of nowhere and pinned the Kakashi doll to the sand by its hands and feet. It tried to break free, but the more it struggled, the deeper the daggers went, causing it to moan in pain. While Loli grinned in triumph, I stood there paralyzed, unable to figure out what to do.

"Looks like your stupid doll was no match against the Hunter's Charm," Loli said. "Though I am disappointed that the doll couldn't replicate what the real Kakashi would've done in this situation."

_That's it!_ I realized then what I had to do.

"Kakashi, use the Sharingan Eye!" I shouted at the doll.

"I would if my hands weren't impaled," Kakashi Doll replied. "But I'll try."

So it struggled to free its left hand, which did prove to be a difficult task, but then it managed to break it free at the cost of tearing it. Though the Kakashi Doll flinched in pain, it managed to lift its forehead-protector, revealing the Sharingan Eye, and stared at Loli. This in turn caused her to become dizzy, and fall asleep. The red daggers vanished, and the crowd cheered. Meanwhile, Ri sent two men to check on Loli. After checking her pulse and eyes, they went back and told Ri of their examination.

"It seems that the Kakashi Doll's Sharingan Eye caused Loli to fall asleep via light hypnosis, therefore Anna-May is the winner of this battle!" Ri announced.

I felt a surge of pride as the crowd cheered again, only louder. Then I noticed some of the candidates either glaring at me or giving me a thumbs-up. As Loli was carried back to the inn, Rurouni Kenshin told the rest of us to gather around him. So we got up onto the wooden platform while several men were ordered to remake the Zen garden with wooden rakes.

"While Loli Tsundere recovers here, the rest of you shall journey to Love Town, where the next battle of the First Round will take place," Rurouni Kenshin said. "As for traveling supplies, they will be provided at the inn, and here are some tokens that Kamiya would like to present you."

From behind Rurouni Kenshin stepped Kamiya, the girl who supported Kenshin and loved him despite his troubled past, who bowed respectably to the seven of us. Next, she opened a wooden box, which contained eight different-colored prayer bead bracelets. We got to choose our favorite, which for me was a bright red one, and then Kamiya bowed again before heading for the inn to present the eighth prayer bead bracelet to Loli when she woke up. After that, Rurouni Kenshin left to meet us at the outskirts of Samurai Village, so the rest of the candidates went back to the inn to get their stuff, while I wandered around to find someone who could fix my Kakashi Doll's torn hand.

"I'm sorry I made you do that," I said as I carried it in my arms.

"It's alright. It didn't hurt that much," Kakashi Doll said, but flinched slightly when I pinched his broken hand to prevent the cotton from falling out.

But then, something amazing happened. One minute, I felt the cotton at my fingertips, then the next, Kakashi Doll's hand felt whole. I uncovered my own hand, and indeed, its hand was fixed as if by magic. The Kakashi Doll wiggled it to make sure it worked, and no cotton fell out.

"What on earth just happened?" I asked myself.

"I don't know. I guess the power of your desire to fix me made my broken hand heal all by itself," Kakashi Doll said.

"But that doesn't make sense!"

"Hey, I'm a talking doll. Do you think that makes any sense?"

He did have a point, so I decided to drop it as we headed back to the inn. There, I was given a pack with rice-balls, a blanket, a leather sack full of fresh water, and a map. Unlike the one Masakaki gave me, this map wasn't crummy. In fact, it was much more detailed, showing the forests and valleys between the Areas and a few recommended paths lined up. After I thanked China for letting me stay the night, I met Rurouni Kenshin and the other candidates near the lake outside of Samurai Village. There, he told us to head towards the woods next to the lake, and there we would find a hidden path out of the valley where Samurai Village was located. He then bowed to each of us as we left.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5: Love Town Part 1

Chapter 5: Love Town Part 1

"You know, since we're probably going to be seeing each other more often, I think we should introduce ourselves," said the girl with the glasses as we followed a faint dirt path through the woods once the lake was behind us. When no one responded, she sighed, "Well, for starters, my name is Magi Kalgurl."

"I'm Hen Tye, but you can call me 'Henny'," said the guy with the pig-like face, moving a little too close to Magi, causing the boy with the close-shaven head to punch him in the head from behind.

"Chuuni Byou's the name, and I'm better than all of you combined!" said the guy with the close-shaven head in a loud and boisterous voice.

"You don't have to shout, you know," said the dark-haired boy Shou from the back.

"Oh yeah?" replied Chuuni, who sneered at Shou. "And what's your name?"

"Shou Nenju. Satisfied?"

"Well, I'm Moe Yandere, and I'm going to kill you all!" cried the little girl with black pigtails. She was so adorable that her last statement fell on deaf ears.

So I joined in and said, "If you didn't hear my name before, I'm Anna-May Otaku."

It was then that I noticed a boy cowering behind Shou that I recalled from the table last night, but he didn't say anything. He was wearing a loose white T-shirt, baggy sweat-pants, and had thin brown hair tied into a ponytail. When Magi saw him, she walked all the way to the back and tapped him on the shoulder. Immediately, he jumped in fright, and lost his balance.

"Whoa, easy there," Magi said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"_I-I-It's okay_," the boy said in a whisper. "_I-I-I'm kind of clumsy, anyway_."

Magi blinked for a second, and then she smiled. "So, what is your name?"

"_M-My name is…H-H-Hikiko…M-M-Mori_."

"Hikiko Mori?"

The boy nodded.

"It's nice to meet you!" Magi said, and shook his hand despite his hesitation.

"So now that we're done with the introductions, can we get going to Love Town?" Shou asked impatiently. "I don't want to have to spend the night around here when there's Mightyenas and god-knows what."

"Geez, aren't you the impatient one?" Chuuni said, glaring at Shou.

"You know what, screw you guys! I'll see you in Love Town," Shou said, and charged ahead before anyone could protest.

For the rest of the trek, no one said anything. Then as the sun started to sink over the western horizon, we emerged out of the valley. While some of us stared at the vast forests, valleys, and structures that lay in the distance, others decided to head down the sloping path along the cliff we were standing on. I was one of the few who decided to look at the landscape, even though Masakaki had showed me an aerial view of it the day before.

"It's unbelievable, isn't it?" said Magi next to me. "That the eight of us have been brought to a place like this, where all our wildest otaku fantasies are real?"

"Yes, it is unbelievably strange," I replied. "Though I don't know if I would actually want to live here."

"But why not? You would be surrounded by your favorite characters all day and night, there would be no parents to bug you, and if I get to become the Otaku King, or Queen I guess, the first thing I'm going to do is cancel _Bleach_. That series has ran for too long, and it's getting annoyingly repetitive."

I didn't respond to this because I never read _Bleach_, so instead I walked down the path with her following behind me. Hikiko was bringing up the rear, so Magi had to constantly call at him to keep up as the sun reached the zenith. At the bottom of the path was a large forest, with large pine trees and scattered clearings. Here, there weren't as many Pokémon as there were in the forests near Samurai Village, but there were visible trails, which Magi, Hikiko, and I followed. The others were further ahead of us, so I had to constantly rely on my map to make sure I was going the right way.

Later, as the sun started to sink, more Pokémon started to appear, so I picked up my pace, and so did Magi and Hikiko. On a hill that overlooked a gap in the trees, I saw the outline of several houses and small buildings clustered in a heart-shaped fashion, and immediately realized it was Love Town, but I also knew we still had a ways to go. We eventually caught up to the others, including Shou, who were arguing about whether to continue onto Love Town, or camp in the forest for the night.

"I say we keep going!" Shou said. "The sooner we get to Love Town, the less camping we'll have to do."

"But it's getting dark, Shou," Hen whined. "And I don't like traveling at night."

"Me neither," replied Moe, who seemed genuinely frightened, but I couldn't be sure. "I also think we should wait for Loli, since she's still behind us."

"Moe does have a point," Magi said, stepping forward. "Plus it would be much safer to travel when there's more light."

"W-W-What if we get attacked while we're sleeping?" Hikiko piped, surprising everyone. "We don't know…what kind of Pokémon m-might appear…at n-n-night. So I think…as long as we keep m-m-moving, we'll be f-fine."

"Well I think we should wait for Loli, and when it gets dark, we'll keep moving!" Chunni said confidently.

"That's the stupidest idea I ever heard!" Shou shouted irritably. "If you guys want to wait for that kimono-wearing snob to catch up, fine, but I want to cover as much ground as possible before the sun goes down, so I'm leaving!"

As Shou turned from the group and continued on the path, Hikiko hurriedly followed him, and soon I was following too. Magi looked at me with disapproval, but I didn't like Loli to begin with, and Shou made a very convincing argument. I just hoped that my choice was the correct one. But unlike Magi, Shou didn't stop for water or food and just kept walking, which got to be annoying, but then when we reached the outskirts of Love Town just as the first star came out, I forgave him.

In Love Town, the Great Teacher Onizuka, who was the Supervisor of Love Town, received us and he immediately took us to a fancy hotel run by the girls from _He Is My Master_. There, the three of us had a decent meal and were given large suites with king-size beds. Of course, we were given separate rooms, and it was as I was drifting to sleep that I wondered how the others were doing, out there in the woods.

To be continued…


End file.
